Turanga Leela
Encyclopedia
Turanga Leela, known simply as Leela, is a character from the animated television series Futurama
. She is voiced by Katey Sagal
. Leela is captain of the Planet Express Ship
and is the primary love interest of one of the series' main male protagonist
s, Philip J. Fry
. She is originally believed to be a cyclopean
alien, but in "Leela's Homeworld
" she discovers that she is actually a sewer mutant
. In the episode "The Problem with Popplers
" her family name, Turanga was used for the first time. The episode "Less Than Hero
" establishes that among Leela and her parents, their family name, "Turanga", is placed before the given name.
. Leela serves as captain of the Planet Express Ship
, proving herself to be a skilled officer and often rescuing her less-talented coworkers from peril. Leela's and Fry's relationship is a major plot line that runs throughout the series. Fry constantly seeks her approval, though she turns him down for dates consistently due to his immaturity, yet she has been quoted as saying that she loves his boyish charm. Of course, there are various moments when she does fall for him even briefly, especially whenever he would risk his life for her. She sees him as a true friend and does not want anything more of him, but it constantly appears as if she is hiding (and denying herself) deeper feelings for him. At the end of the film Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
, Leela openly admits to loving Fry, and shows greater attraction to him from the episode "Rebirth
" onward, though their relationship varies. In "The Prisoner of Benda
", the two share a romantic interlude, though their personalities have been switched to different bodies. In the episode "Fry Am the Egg Man", while being hit on by Angus McZongo, she says that she and Fry are strictly platonic. In "Overclockwise
", Leela expresses concerns over their "on-again-off-again" relationship, but by the end of that episode, Bender reveals Fry and Leela's future to them, and while the viewer is not told its details, Leela and Fry are clearly pleased with them.
", Leela enters an unhappy relationship with Alcazar, a cyclops who convinces her that he and she are the last two members of their extinct race, only to discover that he is a shapeshifting
impostor. She meets her parents, Morris and Munda, two sewer-dwelling mutants, for the first time in the episode "Leela's Homeworld
". Her parents gave her up to an orphanarium
with a note indicating that she was an alien, so that she would have a better life than a typical mutant.
Leela's single eye hampers her depth perception and is sometimes exploited for comic effect, for instance, in the episode The Problem with Popplers
it is suggested that she actually is crashing into billboards every time in the opening credits, though it typically does not interfere with her ability to pilot the Planet Express ship (beyond crashing into the odd billboard) or her mastery of martial arts. She is very athletic and in great physical condition, with most males (of any species) unable to match her in physical combat.
Leela has pity sex with the pompous, idiotic captain Zapp Brannigan
in the episode "Love's Labours Lost in Space
"; according to Groening, the episode marked a turning point in the series, as it showed that the writers could degrade the main heroine without alienating viewers from the show. Throughout the series, Brannigan brags about his night with Leela and constantly tries to entice her into dates and romantic encounters, much to her disgust. Leela's romantic mishaps continue throughout the series, even as her friend Fry begins to take a serious interest in her. However, from the film Into the Wild Green Yonder
onward, she confesses her love for Fry and begins an openly romantic relationship with him.
A committed environmentalist
and lover of animals, Leela defies Brannigan's orders in order to save Nibbler
from a collapsing planet and adopts him as a pet; later in the series Nibbler reveals himself to be a member of an ancient race of wise, sophisticated beings known as the Nibblonians. Her environmentalist beliefs resurface again in Into the Wild Green Yonder
. Despite her love of animals and nature, she embarks on an Ahab-like quest to kill a space whale in the episode "Möbius Dick
".
and executive producer David X. Cohen
conceived the idea that Leela would later be revealed to be the child of sewer-dwelling mutants before the series was even pitched to executives; the two mutants later revealed to be Leela's parents can actually be seen as background characters in the season 2 episode "I Second That Emotion
", providing an early hint at her origin. Later in the series it is revealed that her parents had given her up to an orphanage (styled an 'orphanarium') in order to give her a chance at living a normal life on the surface, posing her as an alien due to her lack of distinguishing mutant features. According to Groening, the cyclopean
but otherwise comely Leela was intended as a subversion of the physically perfect women usually seen in science fiction.
An early file Groening compiled on Leela lists some of her intended qualities: "strong-willed, opinionated, gentle (when not fighting), gives orders, unlucky in love, loves weapons, loves animals." Katey Sagal describes her as a "tough, strong career girl who just can't get it together in the rest of her life...she's vulnerable and hard at the same time."
Leela's name is a pun on Olivier Messiaen
's most famous orchestral work, the Turangalîla Symphony
.
, would be recognizable in silhouette. Groening decided to give Leela a large nose just for fun, but the animators initially resisted the idea, believing that it was unnatural. Animator Gregg Vanzo
notes that the artists also had initial difficulties drawing facial expressions and moods for Leela because of her single eye. Leela's usual clothing consists of a low-cut white tank top, leggings
and boots. Although Groening intended for Leela to be portrayed as attractive and sexy, he later had to instruct the animators to de-emphasize some of her bodily features, saying that "the tendency among the animators was to draw this bizarrely exaggerated female form." What Leela calls "this thing I wear on my wrist" (referred to in another episode as a "Wrist Lojack
imator") is capable of minor plot conveniences as needed.
provides the voice of Leela. Sagal immediately wanted the role when she was asked to audition for Groening. She is one of the few primarily live-action actors in the Futurama cast. In an interview, Sagal said: "This is acting, but a different type of acting. You're not using your whole tool here — your body and physicality — but it's challenging that way. The animation work is really unusual. I don't have the same experience doing it as the people I work with." Sagal notes that she found out years after accepting the part that someone else had previously been cast as Leela but the creators had decided to replace her. She also notes that she doesn't change Leela's voice much from her own natural voice but she does try to make it a little higher pitched.
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. She is voiced by Katey Sagal
Katey Sagal
Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
. Leela is captain of the Planet Express Ship
Planet Express Ship
The Planet Express Ship is a fictional spaceship in the animated series Futurama, which bears the official designation "U.S.S. Planet Express Ship." The ship was designed and built by Professor Hubert Farnsworth and is the sole delivery ship of Planet Express, a delivery service owned by the...
and is the primary love interest of one of the series' main male protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s, Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
. She is originally believed to be a cyclopean
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
alien, but in "Leela's Homeworld
Leela's Homeworld
"Leela's Homeworld" is the second episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It originally aired as the fifth episode on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2002. "Leela's Homeworld" was written by Kristin Gore and directed by Mark Ervin. The episode reveals Leela's true...
" she discovers that she is actually a sewer mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
. In the episode "The Problem with Popplers
The Problem with Popplers
"The Problem with Popplers" is the 15th episode in the second production season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 7, 2000.The title is a reference to the Star Trek: The Original Series Episode "Trouble with Tribbles", in which "tribbles" infest the USS Enterprise.-Plot:When...
" her family name, Turanga was used for the first time. The episode "Less Than Hero
Less Than Hero
"Less Than Hero" is the fourth episode in the fourth production season of Futurama. It first aired on March 2, 2003 as the sixth episode in the fifth broadcast season. The episode was directed by Susie Dietter and written by Ron Weiner.- Plot :...
" establishes that among Leela and her parents, their family name, "Turanga", is placed before the given name.
Fictional character biography
Originally a career placement officer for new defrostees at a cryogenics lab in the year 2999, Leela quit her job after meeting Philip J. Fry, a defrostee from 1999, and Bender, a high-tech job-deserting girder bending robot. Together they are employed as the crew for Planet Express, an intergalactic delivery business run by Hubert J. FarnsworthHubert J. Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
. Leela serves as captain of the Planet Express Ship
Planet Express Ship
The Planet Express Ship is a fictional spaceship in the animated series Futurama, which bears the official designation "U.S.S. Planet Express Ship." The ship was designed and built by Professor Hubert Farnsworth and is the sole delivery ship of Planet Express, a delivery service owned by the...
, proving herself to be a skilled officer and often rescuing her less-talented coworkers from peril. Leela's and Fry's relationship is a major plot line that runs throughout the series. Fry constantly seeks her approval, though she turns him down for dates consistently due to his immaturity, yet she has been quoted as saying that she loves his boyish charm. Of course, there are various moments when she does fall for him even briefly, especially whenever he would risk his life for her. She sees him as a true friend and does not want anything more of him, but it constantly appears as if she is hiding (and denying herself) deeper feelings for him. At the end of the film Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is the last of a series of four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies. The movie was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino. Guest stars include Phil Hendrie, Penn Jillette , Snoop Dogg and Seth...
, Leela openly admits to loving Fry, and shows greater attraction to him from the episode "Rebirth
Rebirth (Futurama)
"Rebirth" is the premiere of Futuramas sixth season, and the revival of the series. It originally aired in North America on June 24, 2010, on Comedy Central. The episode was written by David X...
" onward, though their relationship varies. In "The Prisoner of Benda
The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. ...
", the two share a romantic interlude, though their personalities have been switched to different bodies. In the episode "Fry Am the Egg Man", while being hit on by Angus McZongo, she says that she and Fry are strictly platonic. In "Overclockwise
Overclockwise
"Overclockwise" is the twenty-fifth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on September 1, 2011...
", Leela expresses concerns over their "on-again-off-again" relationship, but by the end of that episode, Bender reveals Fry and Leela's future to them, and while the viewer is not told its details, Leela and Fry are clearly pleased with them.
Character development
Leela's orphan upbringing and mysterious origins have helped fuel the development of her character over the course of the series. Despite her strong-willed nature, she often feels self-conscious about her distinctive appearance, and at one point elects to have surgery to give her the appearance of having two normal-sized eyes, though she later has this reversed. In the episode "A Bicyclops Built for TwoA Bicyclops Built for Two
"A Bicyclops Built for Two" is episode nine in season two of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on March 19, 2000.-Plot:The Professor opens the episode by bearing good news to the Planet Express crew: several years ago he had tried to log onto AOL, and it has finally connected. He sends...
", Leela enters an unhappy relationship with Alcazar, a cyclops who convinces her that he and she are the last two members of their extinct race, only to discover that he is a shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
impostor. She meets her parents, Morris and Munda, two sewer-dwelling mutants, for the first time in the episode "Leela's Homeworld
Leela's Homeworld
"Leela's Homeworld" is the second episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It originally aired as the fifth episode on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2002. "Leela's Homeworld" was written by Kristin Gore and directed by Mark Ervin. The episode reveals Leela's true...
". Her parents gave her up to an orphanarium
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
with a note indicating that she was an alien, so that she would have a better life than a typical mutant.
Leela's single eye hampers her depth perception and is sometimes exploited for comic effect, for instance, in the episode The Problem with Popplers
The Problem with Popplers
"The Problem with Popplers" is the 15th episode in the second production season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on May 7, 2000.The title is a reference to the Star Trek: The Original Series Episode "Trouble with Tribbles", in which "tribbles" infest the USS Enterprise.-Plot:When...
it is suggested that she actually is crashing into billboards every time in the opening credits, though it typically does not interfere with her ability to pilot the Planet Express ship (beyond crashing into the odd billboard) or her mastery of martial arts. She is very athletic and in great physical condition, with most males (of any species) unable to match her in physical combat.
Leela has pity sex with the pompous, idiotic captain Zapp Brannigan
Zapp Brannigan
Captain Zapp Brannigan is a fictional character in the animated sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West, but was originally intended to be voiced by Phil Hartman, with West taking over the role after Hartman's death. Brannigan is a 25-Star General in the Democratic Order of Planets, and captain...
in the episode "Love's Labours Lost in Space
Love's Labours Lost in Space
"Love's Labours Lost in Space" is the fourth episode in season one of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 13, 1999. The episode was written by Brian Kelley and directed by Brian Sheesley. This episode introduces the recurring character Zapp Brannigan when he attempts to prevent...
"; according to Groening, the episode marked a turning point in the series, as it showed that the writers could degrade the main heroine without alienating viewers from the show. Throughout the series, Brannigan brags about his night with Leela and constantly tries to entice her into dates and romantic encounters, much to her disgust. Leela's romantic mishaps continue throughout the series, even as her friend Fry begins to take a serious interest in her. However, from the film Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is the last of a series of four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies. The movie was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino. Guest stars include Phil Hendrie, Penn Jillette , Snoop Dogg and Seth...
onward, she confesses her love for Fry and begins an openly romantic relationship with him.
A committed environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
and lover of animals, Leela defies Brannigan's orders in order to save Nibbler
Nibbler (Futurama)
Lord Nibbler is a fictional character from the animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Frank Welker, who provides not only his speaking lines but also the various noises he makes when not speaking English....
from a collapsing planet and adopts him as a pet; later in the series Nibbler reveals himself to be a member of an ancient race of wise, sophisticated beings known as the Nibblonians. Her environmentalist beliefs resurface again in Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder is the last of a series of four straight-to-DVD Futurama movies. The movie was written by Ken Keeler, based on a story by Keeler and David X. Cohen, and directed by Peter Avanzino. Guest stars include Phil Hendrie, Penn Jillette , Snoop Dogg and Seth...
. Despite her love of animals and nature, she embarks on an Ahab-like quest to kill a space whale in the episode "Möbius Dick
Möbius Dick (Futurama)
"Möbius Dick", is the fifteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 4, 2011.- Plot :...
".
Conception
Although she is described at the beginning of the series as a one-eyed alien who was abandoned on Earth as a newborn, Futurama creator Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and executive producer David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
conceived the idea that Leela would later be revealed to be the child of sewer-dwelling mutants before the series was even pitched to executives; the two mutants later revealed to be Leela's parents can actually be seen as background characters in the season 2 episode "I Second That Emotion
I Second That Emotion
"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 song primarily composed by Smokey Robinson and originally released as a single from his band Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Motown label. The song peaked for three weeks in the United States at #4 on the Billboard pop singles chart in December 1967...
", providing an early hint at her origin. Later in the series it is revealed that her parents had given her up to an orphanage (styled an 'orphanarium') in order to give her a chance at living a normal life on the surface, posing her as an alien due to her lack of distinguishing mutant features. According to Groening, the cyclopean
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
but otherwise comely Leela was intended as a subversion of the physically perfect women usually seen in science fiction.
An early file Groening compiled on Leela lists some of her intended qualities: "strong-willed, opinionated, gentle (when not fighting), gives orders, unlucky in love, loves weapons, loves animals." Katey Sagal describes her as a "tough, strong career girl who just can't get it together in the rest of her life...she's vulnerable and hard at the same time."
Leela's name is a pun on Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
's most famous orchestral work, the Turangalîla Symphony
Turangalîla-Symphonie
The Turangalîla-Symphonie is a large-scale piece of orchestral music by Olivier Messiaen. It was written from 1946 to 1948, on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The premiere was given by that orchestra on December 2, 1949, conducted by Leonard Bernstein in Boston...
.
Design
Besides her over-sized eye, Leela's other notable features include her loopy ponytail and relatively large (for a cartoon female) nose. The ponytail was included so that Leela, like the other main characters in Futurama and Groening's cartoon The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, would be recognizable in silhouette. Groening decided to give Leela a large nose just for fun, but the animators initially resisted the idea, believing that it was unnatural. Animator Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo is an American animator. He has worked on several shows, including The Simpsons and Futurama. He is also the founder of Rough Draft Studios.- Career in television :...
notes that the artists also had initial difficulties drawing facial expressions and moods for Leela because of her single eye. Leela's usual clothing consists of a low-cut white tank top, leggings
Leggings
Leggings are a type of fitted clothing covering the legs, which can be worn by both men and women.Originally leggings were two separate garments, one for each leg....
and boots. Although Groening intended for Leela to be portrayed as attractive and sexy, he later had to instruct the animators to de-emphasize some of her bodily features, saying that "the tendency among the animators was to draw this bizarrely exaggerated female form." What Leela calls "this thing I wear on my wrist" (referred to in another episode as a "Wrist Lojack
LoJack
The LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery System is an aftermarket vehicle tracking system that allows vehicles to be tracked by police, with the aim of recovering them in case of theft. The manufacturer claims a 90% recovery rate...
imator") is capable of minor plot conveniences as needed.
Casting
Katey SagalKatey Sagal
Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
provides the voice of Leela. Sagal immediately wanted the role when she was asked to audition for Groening. She is one of the few primarily live-action actors in the Futurama cast. In an interview, Sagal said: "This is acting, but a different type of acting. You're not using your whole tool here — your body and physicality — but it's challenging that way. The animation work is really unusual. I don't have the same experience doing it as the people I work with." Sagal notes that she found out years after accepting the part that someone else had previously been cast as Leela but the creators had decided to replace her. She also notes that she doesn't change Leela's voice much from her own natural voice but she does try to make it a little higher pitched.